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In a transparent , every link has access to relevant information on the origins and status of products. Transparency underpins consumer trust—a key relationship at a time when the safety of food supply chains is coming under intense scrutiny.

It's not surprising, then, that achieving supply chain transparency has become a hot-button issue in the food and beverage industry.

Critical Ingredient: Communications

An important feature of transparency is that it depends, to a large extent, on a company's ability to exchange information with partners. It can't be achieved in isolation. Visibility, on the other hand, is less dependent on communication across the supply chain.

Shay Scott, executive director of the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee, makes this clear in the trade journal Inbound Logistics. "Visibility provides a company with knowledge of activities across its supply chain; transparency is what and how it communicates that knowledge to customers, partners, and stakeholders."

Transportation Challenges

There are many ways in which you can enhance supply chain transparency. A notable example is addressing information black holes in transportation legs, where gaps in visibility can lead to transparency issues and loss of sleep for shippers.